Favorite Quotes:

The girl now flicked her eyes very slightly up and down Beth’s own random assembly of clothes and readjusted her smile. A series of noughts seemed to be vanishing off her estimation of Beth’s net worth.

The telly that the three-piece suite had no doubt been grouped around was conspicuous by its absence, leaving the chairs looking like a group of worshippers in search of a deity.

Harry says I’m like a cadaver dog. Honestly, if I never see another dead body as long as I live, that would suit me just fine.

…his funds had to stretch, like cheap prosecco at a second wedding.

It was no good stressing discretion to Nina. If she hadn’t currently worked in the estate agents, her dream job would have been town crier, complete with a medieval-style tabard and handbell as she went around announcing items of juicy gossip to all and sundry.

My Review:

Alice Castle's clever levity and diabolically witty observations had me smirking and snorting while delving into the latest misadventures of my favorite tiny pixie-booted snoop. Beth Haldane is one of my all-time favorite characters. Beth is deliciously flawed, which makes her all the more appealing to me as she is a somewhat lazy and cheapskate busybody who is militantly stubborn and highly prone to daydreaming, equivocation, and procrastination.

I covet Ms. Castle’s clever wordplay and her vocabulary is to be greatly admired, unlike her character of Nina who had me hooting with gleeful delight at her malaprops and misuages, not that I have ever been known to make such grievous errors myself ~ snort. The storylines were well-crafted with a writing style that was as engaging as it was highly amusing and bestowed yet another new word for my Brit Words and Phrases List with wittered on – which means to jabber. Much like my reviewing style…

While I liked the what I've read , after a while it got to the point I just wasn't liking the series so I'm not going on with it .

I enjoyed this book in the series and look forward to more. I liked the characters and the setting.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yet again dead bodies seem to be attracted to our hapless heroine. This time, Beth, while viewing property finds the body hidden in a wardrobe.

Once again these books have been well written with engaging characters. This whole series is a delight to read.

The fact this took me 4 attempts to start shouts loudly. I couldn't get into it at all. I'm glad I finished it as it did get better but still wasnt better than 'okay’, the writing flowed well but overall unremarkable. So sorry, hope the next one is better!

This contained hardly any mystery. The second death is hushed up, and when it all comes to a head at the end, you haven’t had a chance to really piece anything together. You don’t even see what happens - it cuts out and then we see Beth rehash it in her head, after the fact. All the previous book frustrations are still here, so I won’t reiterate those, but let’s just say the main implausible bit of the book is that Beth is house hunting and viewing properties, without having sold her house first. Normally estate agents ask that first, wanting to show people who have a sale of their own and are serious about buying. I don’t even know if they’d do viewings with someone just “thinking”.

Thankfully, this is the last of these books I have to review. I’m happy so many people seem to like them, but they’re not for me. I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

The Murder Hour by Alice Castle
A Beth Haldane Mystery Book #7 - Previously released as The Slayings in Sydenham

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A ticking clock, a grand Edwardian home… and a countdown to murder?

Beth Haldane stands on a quiet street outside an ornate front door, glances down at her watch and taps her foot impatiently. Since her partner Detective Harry York moved into her little house in Dulwich Village, things are a bit too snug. Now Beth whiles away the hours waiting for house viewings and searching for the perfect new home for them and her little boy.

When a flustered young woman finally arrives and introduces herself as the estate agent, Beth is looking forward to taking in the exposed red bricks and wooden floorboards of this charming Edwardian property. But when she peeks into a built-in wardrobe, a lifeless body is a greeting she wasn’t expecting.

Panicked, the estate agent soon identifies the man as her boss Richard Pettit. With police on the way, Beth takes charge of scouting for clues. Why is the house echoingly empty of furniture except for a carefully folded pile of clothes in one room? Was the estate agent late because she was bumping off her boss? And what are the nosy neighbours hiding?

My Opinion

This series of books is being re-released with new names. These are quick little mystery books to read and I can easily finish one in a few hours. So far I am enjoying this series and the characters are really starting to develop as we work through the various mysteries. Whilst these books are part of a series, each would work well as a standalone.

Beth is considering moving a larger house now that Harry York has moved in - but anyone that has read any of this series will know even house hunting is not going to be straightforward. A lovely, descriptive mystery that will keep the reader interested until the end. A well-written book and I am looking forward to reading the upcoming eighth book in the series.

Rating 4/5

I hope there's going to be other books in this lovely series as I thoroughly enjoyed and this one was very entertaining.
I was glad to catch up with Beth and the characters, well written as usual. The solid mystery is well plotted and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Murder Hour by Alice Castle is the sixth book within the new Beth Haldane Cosy Mystery series and these books have been a good read. However, I am finding them predicable. - well I did read these back to back whilst relaxing in the summer holidays.

This book is full of good strong twists and turns throughout and another great book and I highly recommend this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author Alice Castle for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed everyone of these books and I was sorry to finish this one. This was just as a good as the others were and I raced through it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Book 7 in this terrific series and I have enjoyed every one. In this book Beth and Harry have moved in together and once again murder follows Beth.

This is a really enjoyable cosy mystery series. Are the storylines gripping from start to finish - no, but they are enjoyable and easy to read and keep me enthralled. Wonderful characters and setting are essential for me and this series has both. I hope there are more to come in this series.

Beth Haldane is house hunting, since her partner Detective Harry York moved into her little house in Dulwich Village, things are a bit too snug especially with the numerous boxes of crime novels he's brought with him. When a flustered young woman finally arrives and introduces herself as the estate agent, Beth is looking forward to taking in the exposed red bricks and wooden floorboards of this charming Edwardian property. But when they open a built-in cupboard & a body falls out. The estate agent identifies the man as her boss Richard Pettit. Beth feels that she should investigate, then another estate agent is killed.
The seventh book in the series & whilst it could easily be read on its own to fully appreciate & all the relationships I’d recommend reading the earlier books. I've grown to love the diminutive Beth who seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time & then she feels she has to investigate much to the annoyance of Harry. The motive for the killings was original & surprising. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written cosy mystery & hope there are more to follow
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Now Beth's policeman boyfriend has moved into her little home ,along with his vast library of detective novels, she is forced to look at houses outside her beloved Dulwich so they can accommodate their growing family of humans and pets. Waiting impatiently for an estate to turn up ,Beth calls his office who hastily send a replacement. On inspecting the kitchen,Beth attempts to prize open a cupboard door. The estate agent manages to pull it open whereupon the body of her colleague tumbles out at their feet. Once again ,Beth is embroiled in another murder investigation much to Harry's bewildered irritation. Once again ,Beth's job is sidelined without anyone apparently noticing, as she chases the murderer.

Harry and all his boxes have moved into Beth’s Dulwich home, but there’s not enough room for all his boxes, causing stress all around. When Beth Haldane goes house hunting, it’s no surprise there’s a dead body in the house. As she tries to determine who is targeting real estate agents, will she put herself in harms way again?

Out househunting to find the house of Harry's dreams Beth does not expect to find a body but the body of the young estate agent is there for her to find

As per the norm instead of doing her own job and respecting Harry's request to keep out the investigation, Beth being Beth totally goes the other way

Enjiyable read

From amateur sleuth to supper sleuth, Beth Haldane is not as involved in murder as has become usual for her. In fact, the biggest drama at this point is in her life at present is of a different nature altogether. She has agreed to move in together with her boyfriend, DI Harry York. Having been a single mother to check for several years, this new change in circumstances definitely comes with growing pains.

Moving in together is difficult enough, buying a new home with Harry no doubt would be even more challenging. More than adept with change, Beth is up to the task. However, on one of her first endeavors in househunting, she in the estate agent discover a dead body. Can she distract herself from her new domestic concerns to discovering what happened to the murder victim? Willing to face the danger that will undoubtedly follow Beth, she plows onward.

From the first book in this series, The Murder Mystery, And for all of these other books that have followed, including this seventh book, The Murder Hour, Beth’s introspection has been part of each story. Finding out how she thinks, what she feels, and what drives her has been a part of each story. I love how this story shows how she actually feels about Harry moving in and the difficulty and finding a new home that they both will be happy in. Of course, she’s also concerned with her son Jake and how he will feel about the change in their family life. Then there is the fact that she’s a wonderful pet owner with Magpie the cat and her accidental acquisition of Colin the dog.

Although this is book seven in a very enjoyable series, I personally would love to see it continue. The characters are real, with real problems, even if some of the murder scenarios might seemed contrived for every day life. However, since this reader truly loves cozy mysteries, I can accept the coincidental murders that happen, especially if you have a character that is very easy to connect with, and one that happens to be very ingenious at what she does.

The Murder Hour is book seven in the Beth Haldane series and in this instalment we see Beth house hunting as she needs a bigger home now that Harry has moved in with her and her son. Obviously wherever Beth goes murder seems to follow and on entering the beautiful Edwardian property she is viewing she finds the body of the owner of the estate agents. This leads to Beth investigating his murder with the fear that she may actually have been the intended target. I absolutely love everything about this series and haven't been able to put each one of the seven books down. I really hope there will be more books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Unfortunately I was unable to download the book in time before the archive date. I've read the first four of this series and I really liked them.

Beth and Harry need a larger home now that he’s moved in with her and her son. So it’s up to Beth to do some house hunting. Eager to see the inside of one house. She’s greeted by a body as she looks around. NOT a feature she was expecting to find in a new home.

Now Beth’s. not only hunting for a new home, she’s also hunting for clues as to who killed the man. Can Beth find the murderer before she no longer needs a new home, but rather a casket?

Another solid entry in the series. I’ve read all seven books so far and can’t get enough. The characters are well developed and the whodunit well thought out and full of red herrings. I’m glad they revamped the series for an international audience and republished them.

Publication August 22, 2022

Beth Haldane is house hunting in this installment of the series. Initially, it's about the last thing in the world Beth wants to be doing. She loves her current home, albeit admits that it's crowded now that her detective boyfriend Harry York is moving in permanently. It's Harry that has been prodding her to look at larger homes, something she's resisted doing as much as possible, then finding fault with the houses she does check out. It won't come as any surprise to those who've been reading this series all along that while Beth doesn't find the house of, well, Harry's dreams, she does find a dead body. It's also no surprise that Beth being Beth, also feels a responsibility to the dead man, who she had never met, btw, to investigate his death. Harry is, well, less than pleased. Beth has the tendency to not only find dead bodies but put herself in danger in the process of trying to figure out whodunit.

I adore author Alice Castle's flowing, descriptive writing style, putting us in character's heads as they ponder both important and completely unimportant things, and Beth has become a favorite character. I can definitely relate to both her best and worst tendencies, such as procrastination, day dreaming, and stubborn desire to be in control. She is a flawed character, smart but often naive, driven but prone to go off on tangents that lead her in other directions, and wanting the best but not always willing to do her job. I mean, how does she keep her job? I asked myself this several times in his book, I must admit. This go-round, she is even sneaking the sweet ol' dog Colin into her office space. What really got on my nerves most, however, is the almost disdain, or at least lack of respect, she shows toward Harry's difficult job of dealing daily with evil doers. At one point she almost smugly seems to overestimate her own sleuthing abilities, which tend to be hit-or-miss, while snidely wondering what Harry and his team are doing at the police station to sweep the discovery of the young real estate agent's body under the rug.

Of course, all that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. Beth's flaws make her unpredictable, ie realistic, and it's hard to dislike someone who, despite her lack of focus and tendency toward fanciful thinking, she is someone that I'd like to think would be a friend. Even having never met the young realtor's agent, she feels a responsibility toward him, a responsibility that, predictably, gets her into hot water with Harry and danger from those who'd prefer she not keep digging for the truth. Who knew realty could be so corrupt? Why did it appear someone was living in the supposedly unoccupied home-for-sale? Why is Beth, who doesn't want to move, suddenly so determined to keep house shopping? Will Nina be helpful or a mere distraction? Will Beth eventually come to accept Harry and his boxes and boxes of books? She does admit to enjoying the physical presence of a book in her hand, after all.

Will Beth ever go to work on time? Heck, let me rephrase that. Will Beth ever put her job, the one that will help pay for her son's expensive education, first? Will she ever get that book done that she promised to write for the school? Uh, maybe. How are canine Colin and feline Magpie getting along? What would Beth do if she put even one of them in danger with her snooping, er, asking of questions? What is going on with Janice and husband Dr. Grover? If they can't make it, is there hope for Beth and Harry? Who.....oh, way too many teasers but I've barely touched the surface. If you enjoy wonderfully written plots with a main character that will both intrigue and irritate you with her realness, give this one a read.

Thanks #NetGalley and #Bookouture for inviting me over to shadow Beth while she was house hunting. Somehow I knew a body would be involved but it didn't stop me from enjoying the ride.